Family Secret
by A Dangerous Notion
Summary: Mother? Are you ok?" Shiori didn't seem to hear her son, she just kept staring large, frightened eyes at Kuwabara. Then in a cracked voice she asked, "Kagome... your professor's name is Kagome?"
1. Chapter 1, Beginning

Family Secret,

Disclaimer: Because you would have really thought I owned the people and places in the story if I didn't include a disclaimed...

Chapter one, The Beginning

"Kuwabara! How are you? It's so nice to see you again, come in." Shiori stepped aside letting Kuwabara through the doorway.

Kuwabara bowed his head slightly as he stepped inside, "Thanks Mrs. H, I'm doing just fine." Stepping on the back of his heels to pull off his shoes, Kuwabara slid into some old slippers he had left behind one visit and followed Shiori though the brightly lit living room.

"Shuichi is just in the kitchen cooking breakfast." Shiori waved to indicate the red head by the stove.

Kuwabara nodded to the women and sat down at the table. It was weird not seeing Kurama in his old high school uniform. Instead he was wearing brand new blue jeans and an ironed button down teal shirt. Of course, Kuwabara wasn't dressed in his school uniform either but was wearing almost the same thing, just a blue shirt instead. Though Kurama didn't seem to be having as hard of time with the itchiness of the stiff collar as Kuwabara. Kurama was also sporting a black apron with the words, "Kiss the cook," written across the front - much to Kuwabara's amusement.

"Hey Kuwabara, you like scrambled eggs? I'm trying out a new western recipe." Kurama asked looking over his shoulder, holding the handle to a large frying pan with one hand and a flipper in the other.

"Oh, no, no, no," The orange haired boy shook his head and waved his arms, "You don't have to make me anything."

"Nonsense!" Exclaimed Shiori, as she bodily removed the apron from her much taller son and pushed him towards the table to join his friend. She ignored her son's amusement and turned towards the stove using the flipper to scramble the eggs. "You're always welcome to breakfast or any other meal here, I know how hard it is with just you and your sister at home. Besides," She grabbed two plates from the cupboard and started to pile the on the eggs and toast, "you're both are going to need your strength today, it's your first day of university after all." She set a plate in front of each boy and went back to the stove to make some fresh tea.

Her excitement was contagious. Both Kurama and Kuwabara shared a humorous smile over their eggs as Shiori rushed around the kitchen, making sure they had drinks and enough food. "I'm so glad you decided to go to university Shuichi. I mean, I am happy you helped your step-father out with his company these last couple years but you're much too smart to do that forever and not get a degree." She took the kettle off the stove and filled up a tea pot.

"Yes well," Kurama coughed over his eggs, "I wanted to wait for Kuwabara to graduate so we could go together," He ducked his head down and mumbled, "and I thought it best if I didn't go to university with my year mates and waited a year when I'm not so," Kurama voice got a bit softer, "well known."

This time it was Shiori and Kuwabara who passed an amused glace over at each other. Shiori sat down and filled her cup with the freshly made tea. "I understand," she said with a straight face, though her sympathetic response was betrayed by the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"So Kuwabara, you excited about starting university?" She asked, tuning away from her embarrassed son.

"Ya, I can't wait. I have four years of general studies before I can apply to be a teacher. It's nothing compared to Shuichi's double major in botany and archaeology but I think I'll make a good teacher." Kuwabara gave a shrug.

"You'll make a great teacher Kuwabara. You're so good with kids, my youngest just loves you. He was so disappointed he would miss you today but high school starts so early." Shiori trailed off with a happy smile and sipped her tea. A comfortable silence fell over the table as the boys finished up their first plate and went up for seconds.

"I haven't seen your other two friends in a while." Shiori spoke up, "What are Hiei and Yusuke doing now a day?"

Kuwabara froze, his chop sticks half way to his mouth trying to think of something to say, luckily Kurama's mind works a bit faster than the lovable fools. "Hiei is working abroad. He got a high level job working as a security guard." Well, it was kind of true. Hiei was still in Makai working for the border patrol with Mukuro. "And Yusuke is working at his girlfriend's parents noodle shop. He's been running small kiosks for them around town. I think he's hoping to inherit the shop when they retire."

"Good for them." Shiori said.

Kurama agreed. With both him and Kuwabara going to university, Yusuke working and Hiei in Makai, the group, including Hiei though he would deny it, were worried about their lives becoming too busy and them losing touch. Luckily, King Enma removed the price on Yusuke's head, letting Koenma give them their jobs back. It gave the whole group, including the girls, a concrete reason to get together and a way for the boys not living Makai to keep in fighting shape.

'Though it's not quite what it was,' Kurama thought remembering the tantrum Koenma threw when they told him that they wanted to be paid for each mission and that they would pick which mission they wanted to do leaving the rest for the SDF and the team Erki created as Demon King. Kurama couldn't hide the smirk that came over his face from the memories so grabbed his tea cup to hide behind.

"You mentioned general studies Kuwabara, what classes does that require?" Shiori asked refilling the boy's cups.

"It's just your regular base ones for first year at least. Classes like, writing, math, ethics and a couple of options. There's one class I'm really looking forward to." Kuwabara shot a sly look towards Kurama. Said red head raised a curious eyebrow at the look.

"What is it?" Shiori asked leaning slightly over the table.

"It's call Demon Lore." Kurama shot an irritated, warning look over at Kuwabara but didn't say anything, trusting his friend not to say too much. "The teacher is supposed to be amazing. It's her first time teaching a full course load but she has done guest lectures at other places and universities. They also say she's a little crazy." Kuwabara gives Kurama another sly look and ignores the warning look in return. "They say she really believes that her stories are true, that demons really exist!"

"She believes they're real? But they're just made up creatures!" Shiori laughed, thankfully not noticing the glare Kurama sent Kuwabara over the table. Kuwabara in his defence just shrugged and smiled. "But it will lead to some pretty interesting discussions."She stood up and gathered their finished plates to rinse and place in the dishwasher.

"Ya, I'm looking forward to it." Kuwabara stood up and took the plates away from Shiori and went over to the sink to rinse them. He handed the rinsed plates to Kurama who placed them into the dishwasher. Shiori smiled from where she was and sat back down at the table.

"So, what is the teacher's name?" She asked.

"Kagome Tashio." Kuwabara said.

*CRASH*

"Mother!" Kurama raced around the table and to his mother's side, she didn't respond. "Are you ok? What happened?" He picked up the biggest piece of the shattered cup off the table and out of the puddle of hot tea. "Kuwabara can you grab the dishcloth by the sink and the garbage can?" He only gave the boy a quick glace before turning back to his unresponsive mother.

Shiori had gone white. Her face was pale, almost greenish. Her eyes were unseeing just staring at the far wall. She didn't register her son beside her, even him lightly shacking her by the shoulders didn't create a response from the shocked woman. Then, after five whole minutes of the boy's panicked actions, she turned to Kuwabara. "Did you say Kagome Tashio?"

Kuwabara was startled from where he was picking up the pieces of the broken cup and mopping up the split tea. His fingers slipped in his surprised and he got a shallow cut from one of the small shards. He immediately place said figure into his mouth to steam the bleeding. Turning to look at Shiori and taking in her frightened eyes, he removed his finger from his mouth and slowly nodded his head.

"Yes," He answered steadily, softly as not to startle her. He looked over top of her head at Kurama but noticed that he seemed just as lost as he was.

"Oh," She said. The word was said with no absolutely no emotion and blank face. She looked at Kuwabara, turned her head to look at her son then turned back to Kuwabara. Her mouth opened and closed as if to say something but nothing came out.

"Mother, are you ok?" Kurama asked again, resting his hand on her shoulder. She turned her whole body to face him and stared for a moment. Then her eyes cleared up and the colour returned to her face.

She smiled, "Of course dear." She got up and walked over to the stove. The two boys were confused to say the least. They finished cleaning up the broken cup and mopped up the tea. Then, "Oh, you're going to be late!" Shiori shouted spinning around started to push the two boys out into the hall way towards the door.

"Wait mom, we still have twenty minutes before we have to go to the train station." Kurama said but was completely ignored. They were barely able to get their shoes on and grabbed their bags before they were pushed out the door.

"Have a great day at school!" Shiori called out to the boys then shut the door. They could hear the lock slide into place. The boys just stared.

What happened?" Kuwabara asked, turning towards Kurama.

"I don't know..." Kurama trailed off, still staring at the door.

"Why did she get all quiet when I said my professor's name?"

"I don't know. I've never heard that name before." They both turned back to the door and waited for a minute. There was no sign of Shiori anywhere from inside the house. "Come on." Kurama hesitatingly turned away, "let's get to the train station, I'll ask her about it after school."

~ OoO ~

"Nothing?" Kuwabara turned to Kurama tying to maintain eye contact as the train sped down the tracks. The boys were heading home on the express line after a hard day of classes.

"Nothing, she won't tell me what happened. She keeps saying the cup slipped from her hands." Kurama grabbed onto the back of his seat to try and stay upright as the train slowed to a stop at a station. The doors opened and a rush of people came on broad. Thankfully it wasn't rush hour. The two boys got up and gave their seats to two elderly ladies. Ignoring the ladies comments about, "what nice, attractive young men," a calm Kurama and a red faced Kuwabara continued their conversation standing.

"It's been a week," Kurama continued, "and she hasn't said a word about why hearing the name Kagome Tashio shocked her so much." Kurama sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The group of girls down the train giggled. "I've even tried to trick her into telling me but she's not moving."

Kuwabara took in Kurama's frustrated eyes and tired stance. He had never seen him act this way when there wasn't some life or death disaster going on. He approached what he was about to say with caution, "Maybe she's right, and it was no big deal." He shrugged. "Why would she lie?"

Kurama's voice got deeper. "That's what worries me. There is something wrong." He stared straight into Kuwabara's eyes, a look of mild desperation in his. "She keeps looking out the window as if someone was coming. She's barely left the house all week. She's nervous about something."

"And you think that something is Mrs. Tashio?" Kuwabara asked surprised.

Kurama looked up at the roof and ran his hand through his hair again. Kuwabara took keen notice of it. The move was more then just nervous habit, for Kurama when he runs his hand through his hair he was also checking to see if all his seeds are in place. He was really worried about this. Kurama sighed again. "I've looked on the internet but besides a few sites about her professional tours, there is nothing. I can't even find out who she is marries to, or if she even is."

Kuwabara was silent as they moved out of the way to let the group of giggling school girls off. They ignored the way some of the group squeezed past, brushing up against them when there was more than enough room. They did give shy smiles to the two old ladies who were laughing at them behind their hands.

Once the train started moving again Kuwabara turned back to Kurama. "I don't think Mrs. Tashio is dangerous." Kuwabara swallowed and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Her lectures are too real for her not to know about the three worlds, I mean we just spent last class learning about the war with the netherworld, but," Kuwabara's expression turned into confusion, "her spiritual power is lower than the average persons. Even if she does know, she's no danger to us."

"She doesn't have high spiritual powers?" Kurama asked.

Kuwabara shook his head.

"That's a bit of a relief but I wasn't really worried about the danger. Our group can handle just about anything. It was more about the fact I don't know why mother's so worried." Kurama ran his hand through his hair again and began to rub at his temples. Kuwabara placed a silent hand on his shoulder for a second and then let it fall.

They remain in the comfortable, yet worried silence until they had gotten off the train and were half a block away from where they would have to separate to go to their respective houses. "I'm going to see Koenma." Kurama said. He stopped walking.

Kuwabara also stopped a couple of steps ahead and looked back. "How is he going to help? Do you think he might know something?"

"No, but every person has a file with all their information in it. It's called a person's life file and it's what is studied to find out where one goes after their death." He turned around and started to head towards the park and the portal that would take him to spirit world.

"You can just look at another person's file?" Kuwabara hurried to catch up to the red head.

"Not without permission from either Koenma or his father, but I'm sure I can convince Koenma to give me it." He shot a sly look over his shoulder.

Kuwabara laughed, "hold up, I'm coming with you."

~ OoO ~

AN.

Edited: July 22 / 10

So why is Shiori so nervous about hearing the name Kagome Tashio? Sorry to say but the next chapter answers very few questions and adds a whole bunch more.

Next Time:

Chapter Two, Rising


	2. Chapter 2, Rising

Family Secret,

Disclaimer:

AN: Thank you to all the reviews. I was blown away by how much people liked it. In fact, I was so inspired I got this chapter out a whole week and a half earlier than expected.

Chapter Two, Rising

*Stamp*

"I'm the Prince of the underworld."

*Stamp*

"The ruler of the afterlife."

*Stamp*

"So why don't I get any respect!" Koenma cried out in frustration throwing his favourite unicorn stamp across the room. He jumped up onto his chair and shoved the recently stamped pile of papers, and the larger pile of papers waiting to be stamped, off his desk. All the while stamping his child like feet and pouting his baby lips. He sat down in a huff, crossing both arms and just stared at his desk, mumbling. "Stupid kitsune, tricking me like that." He pounded on the desk with both fists, yelling, "and he's supposed to be the nice one."

"Koenma sir, you need to calm down." Jorge tried to calm his boss down while scurrying around the office hunched over collecting the scattered papers and placing them back on the desk. It didn't help any as Koenma had gotten up on top of the desk and started to kick all the papers Jorge collected right off again, all the while yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm in charge! You're supposed to do what I say!" He jumped up and down, kicking everything in reach.

*Smash*

"Koenma sir, you knocked off your brand new ink set. Now there's ink all over the papers." He picked up the baby blue, happy star and moon covered ink set. "You broke it!" He exclaimed then lowered his voice to a patronizing hush, "and it was a present from your father too."

Kuwabara had to turn away from the comic picture and face the blank wall by the couth he was sitting on. He just wasn't able to maintain a straight face anymore. Not that he was really able to in the first place. Every time Koenma would bang his stamp unnecessary loud on a paper, Kuwabara couldn't keep a smile from creeping onto his face. It was only a matter of time before he was unable to pull his face into a black expression in between the stamps.

"Ogre! How dare you break my father's gift!" Koenma jumped off his desk and started to pelt the poor blue man with whatever he could find. Paper weights, pens, even the broken ink set was not spared a trip towards the ogre's head.

"Now Koenma, you shouldn't go blaming your employees for your own mistakes. It's not good leadership." The voice coming from the darkened corner by the door made everyone jump.

"Kurama, how long were you standing there?" Kuwabara called from where he was getting off the couch. The red head stepped into the light and over to the cleared off desk.

"Not long." He held up a thick bounded stack of papers. The cover was a nice bright pink, indicating it was for a female, with the name, "Kagome Tashio," written across the front in Japanese. "I have the book."

"Finally!" Koenma hopped up onto his chair, ignoring the poor blue ogre nursing a bump to the head and mumbling about a new job under his breath. "Let's see what's in here that you wanted so badly you had to trick Me, the great Prince Koenma, for."

Kurama made no noticed to the bitterness in Koenma's voice and opened the book to somewhere in the middle, only to find,

"It's empty!" Kurama shouted in surprise. He flipped to another random page, empty, and to another, again it was empty. He went to the front of the book but besides the name on the cover there was nothing in the book but blank pages.

"What!" Koenma jumped onto his desk and looked at the book. Kuwabara and Jorge also rushed over. All four guys stood there watching Kurama as he flipped to blank page after blank page, front to back. Koenma sat down hard, his voice in disbelief. "That's impossible. This book should contain everything about a person's life. I've never seen this before in all the years that I've judged for the afterlife."

The four men stood in silence looking at the book and at each other. No one could explain what was going on, it just was not possible. Kuwabara concentrated on Kurama's rapidly darkening face, if he was worried before on the train it was nothing compared to now. The silence was thick, heavy.

"We have to figure this out." Kurama clenched his hand into a fist, "this is bigger than I could have imagined. Someone must have erased the information in this book. I didn't even think such a thing was possible. Just who is Kagome Tashio?"

Koenma looked up from where he was muttering "not possible" over and over. "What do we know about her?"

"Almost nothing." Kuwabara spoke up. "She teaches a new class called Demon Lore at our university and she really knows her stuff. I think she does know about the three worlds and a lot about it too but the thing is," he paused and scratched his head. "She has almost no spiritual power." He signed and slumped against the table. "If it wasn't for Mrs. H's reaction towards Mrs. Tashio's name we would have never thought twice about her."

Koenma turned to Kurama, "Your mother knows her?"

Kurama took his time in answering and when he did it was in slow, calculated words. "She knows of her. I've never heard the name nor have I ever met Kagome Tashio before."

"But it's still a lead and the only one we have at the moment." Koenma kept his eyes on the aggravated fox as Kurama ran his hand though his hair, yanking at the ends.

"I know." Kurama sighed and a look of resonation crossed his eyes before becoming blank. He closed Kagome's life book and placed it in the middle of the desk, then turned around and walked out the door.

Kuwabara had not been able to follow the conversation at all. "Where's Kurama going?" He asked the demi-god.

"To get his mother's life book. Hopefully it will tell us why Shiori reacted to Mrs. Tashio's name and give us some clues as to why this book is blank." He indicated the only thing on the desk.

Kuwabara flinched. Not good. With how protective Kurama was of his mother, looking through her life book and all the personal information in there was not going to be easy. Not to mention there had to be stuff in there no son would want to know about their mother. Kuwabara shuttered.

It took Kurama thirty minutes to get Shiori's life book. The wait was done in silence.

This time, instead of bringing the book to the desk, Kurama walked to the couch on the far side of the room where he could flip through his mother`s book in private. The other three did not move from their positions around the desk. They just watched from afar as Kurama went though the book, trying to read the nonexistent emotions on his face.

Then, as Kurama turned another page, his eyes grew wide and his face paled causing the rest of the group to also pale and hold their breaths. Kurama just stared at that single page for an unknown amount of time before rapidly turned page after page. Then he stopped, about a fourth of the book left. He got up and walked over to the group in silence, then lightly placed the open book onto the desk. They turned to look.

Blank

The pages were black.

Koenma's voice cracked, "It's blank as well?"

Kurama shook his head. He flipped to the beginning of the book. The pages were filled, "only a part of it." He flipped to a page around a third in, on one side there was writing and the other was blank. "It starts February 14, 1975," He flipped farther into the book, the writing started again, "and ends, September 16, 1982."

Koenma sat down on top of his desk. Kuwabara and Jorge had to grip the desk to stay upright. Kurama was still, very still, even as he walked around the desk and sat down in Koenma's chair. The only things that moved were his legs, everything else was, still.

All of a sudden, there could be a very real danger towards one Shiori H. A blank life book, even if it was only part of it, has never happened before. It was impossible. If there was a danger here the boys might not be able to handle it this time.

Hot, heavy, thick, silence invaded the group. Each one of them were trying to wrap their heads around this impossibility. Each one was so consumed in their own minds that everyone, including Kurama, jumped when Koenma suddenly jumped off the desk and ran into the back room.

Koenma raced back holding a thick blue bounded book, just like the other two already on the desk. He lifted the book onto the desk then grabbed onto the edge and tried to pull himself up. He wasn't able to. But the amusing sight of his little legs kicking at the air and his face red with effort was finally enough to snap the group out of the depressing state they were in.

"Can someone help me up!" Koenma shouted, between his panting.

"Sorry Koenma sir." Jorge came around to the side and lifted the child emperor up onto his desk. He sat down before the blue book. Kurama stood up and everyone crowded around. The name Shuichi Minamino / Youko Kurama was written across the front page.

"My life book?" Kurama asked.

Koenma shrugged, "I keep all the spirit detectives life files on hand. You have actually have two books, this one and one when you were just Youko Kurama." He reached to open the front cover but paused when his hand was barely making contact. "I just wanted to make sure whatever was causing these blanks didn't reach your book too." Taking a deep breath he opened the book to the first page.

Blank

Everyone's eye grew wide. This was Kurama's life book. Youko Kurama, the famous and powerful ex-thief lord. Who in the three worlds would dare?

Koenma grabbed the next page and flipped it, blank. He kept flipping pages, until the writing started, to everyone's relief. The date, September 16, 1982, the exact same as in Shiori's book.

"September 16, 1982," Kuwabara said over the silence, "It's the same date but why? Did anything happen on that day?"

Kurama's eye grew wide. "That's the day my father died." He said in a hushed whisper. The group turned to look at the fox.

"He was overseas in America installing a new security computer program he had created. He was due to fly home the next day when his car was hit by a truck. The car rolled three times. He was rushed to the hospital but was announced dead on arrival. The crash was so bad we had to have a closed casket for the wake"

Kurama turned back to his mother's book and flipped to where the blank pages started, "February 14, 1975, Mom would have been 18 then. Her and my father started dating when they were in high school."

Kuwabara eyes traveled from the book on the desk to Kurama. "So your dad's the reason behind the blanks?"

Kurama looked up, "I don't believe so but he may be the link between Mrs. Tashio and my family."

Koenma nodded, "Ogre, get Ayame for me." Jorge nodded and rushed out of the office. Koenma rested his head in his hands, "I just hope your fathers file isn't blank like these. It has been kept in the death vaults and therefore more protected. If these blanks are being caused by someone, they would not be able to get it in there. Only the ferry girls have permission to get into the death files."

They waited a couple more minutes before a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in" Koenma called. The door opened to reveal the stoic and beautiful Ayame.

"You wanted me sir?" She said calmly.

"Yes, I need you to get me a file from the death vault. I need you to bring me the file of Souta Minamino."

~ OoO ~

They waited two hours. In that time the two spirit detectives dragged the couth over in front of Koenma's desk so they had a place to sit that was closer to both the door and desk. Koenma settled back into his chair and Jorge tried to clean the room up. No one would say anything.

It was a relief when the door opened up for Ayame, until they saw the look upon her face. Her expression, normally calm and serene, was worried and everyone could not help but notice that her arms were empty.

"Ayame, where is Souta Minamino's life book?" Koenma ask

Ayame folded her hands together in front of her and bowed her head. Her voice was hesitant, "I'm sorry sir, but there is no such file."

Koenma's eyes grew big as he stared at the girl. Kuwabara rested, what he hoped was a reassuring hand, onto Kurama's shoulder. The fox just sank into the cushions in disbelief.

"What do you mean there's no such file?" Koenma's voice shook.

Ayame looked back up She kept her voice soft and low, "I searched the entire vault. There is no file containing the life information of a Souta Minamino nor has there been any indication that there ever was one and it had been signed out."

The group was silent for a very long time. Koenma nodded to Ayame, "Thank you Ayame, you can go now." She bowed once again and closed the door behind her. The room she left was so quiet you could hear the almost nonexistent click of the door clutch.

"Maybe it was misplaced?" Kuwabara suggested to the still room.

"No," Kurama sat up straight. "The organization within the vaults and libraries are done by the over soul, it doesn't make mistakes." He ran a hand through his hair.

Kuwabara tried again. "Maybe your dad changed his name and it's under something different."

This time Koenma shook his head and answered. "It's wouldn't make a difference. The books aren't organized by name. Even if he had it changed, Ayame should have still been able to find him."

Koenma banged his fists on the desk. "What is going on? Blank pages in life books, missing files, this should be impossible!" He looked up. Kuwabara had a hard time matching the particular shade of red that was on his face. "That's it!" The demi-god shouted angrily.

"Computer, show me Kagome Tashio!" The large screen behind the boys started to light up.

Kuwabara turned around to watch the screen load but Kurama was still looking at Koenma. "We're going to watch her until she reveals something? That will take far too long."

Koenma stared into Kurama's anxious green eyes, "What else can we do?" He asked.

Kurama opened his mouth to say something when a shout from Kuwabara interrupted him.

"Kurama! She's at your house!" Kuwabara yelled.

Kurama and Koenma swung around toward the screen and sure enough, the image of Kagome Tashio was making her way up the front steps of Kurama's house. She rang the door bell and stepped back. The door was answered right away and Shiori was seen inside the door.

Then Shiori did something Kurama could not have ever imagined his mother doing. She slammed the door in the Mrs. Tashio's face.

Kurama panicked, assuming the worst and was about to make an illegal portal to human world but froze when he heard what Kagome said next through the closed front door.

"Come on Shiori, that's no way to greet your sister-in-law."

~ OoO ~

AN:

Edited: July 22 / 10

So, we found out the connection between Kagome and Shiori, but why is she so upset about seeing her sister-in-law? And why didn't Kurama know he had an aunt?

What's with the blanks in everyone's life books and why is Souta's missing completely?

Chapter Three, Climax


	3. Chapter 3, Climax

Family Secret

Disclaimer:

AN:

Chapter Three, Climax

There was a long pause following Kagome's words.

Then the very reluctant sound of the front door unlocking was heard. There was another long pause as Kagome stood there waiting for the door to open. When it did not, she grabbed the handle and let herself in.

Kagome slipped off her shoes and closed the door without a sound, her quick eyes noting every exit and hidden shadow in the room. Back stiff and with a reflexive predator's tread she walked down the hallway pass framed pictures telling of a happy family life. She paid them no mind, just a brief glance at one with a smiling brown haired man holding a small red haired toddler before turning a determined walk to the sitting room and a glowering Shiori.

Shiori was sitting in a high backed olive chair facing the entrance of the room. In front of her were two freshly made cups of tea in red flowered teacups. Kagome took the seat on the matching couch across from the woman and sipped her tea. Neither woman said anything, neither woman took their eyes off the other. They just sat there in a false polite silence.

All of a sudden, Shiori had had enough. She slammed her empty cup down hard onto the table.

"Why are you here?" Shiori hissed. The cup received a hair line fracture down the center of one of the painted flowers. She continued to yell furiously,

"I thought I had told you to stay away from my family!" She clenched her teeth, looking like an enraged mother bear about to attack.

Kagome paused for a second, eyeing the distort woman before placing her teacup softly back onto its plate. She sighed, "It been eighteen years Shiori, I wanted to finally meet my nephew."

"He doesn't want to meet you." Shiori spat, standing up from her seat. "He doesn't even know you exist and I want to keep it that way!" She fell back down against the chair in a load bang, finalizing her point. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

Kagome kept her composed expression even though she could feel her heart clench. She spoke in a soft tone, "Hasn't your son ever wondered about the cause his father was killed for?"

Shiori didn't say anything for a long time. She just stood up and walked down the hall a ways. The air around her was sombre as she came to a stop in front of the picture Kagome had glanced at earlier. "He doesn't know." She whispered.

"He doesn't..." Kagome's voice was also low in both a reflection of Shiori solemn tone and in her own confusion.

Shiori crossed her arms to ward off a nonexistent chill, her back still towards her sister-in-law. "I told Shuichi his father was working overseas in America and he was killed in a car accident."

"Why would you do that?" Kagome asked shocked

"What did you want me to tell him?" Shiori asked cooly. She suddenly wiped around, eyes a blaze and started to yell, "Tell my two year old son that the reason his daddy can't tuck him in at night anymore is because he was Tortured to death!"

Shiori took a couple deep breathes and backed up against the walk knocking the picture onto the ground. The glass front of the frame shattered into tiny shards of glass obscuring the two people in the photo. Both women stared at the picture for beat. Shiori started out softly, tears escaping her wide eyes. "He's dead, Tashio, murdered." She got louder. "And it was all your fault! You and your stupid war!" Her voice continued to rise and by the end she was full out yelling. "He was your little brother, he loved you, idolized you. You were his god damned hero!" Tears were pouring down her face.

Kagome felt the air being sucked from her chest. Watching the women her brother loved with all his heart collapse in the hallway in a flood of tears and angry words. Her heart dropped to her stomach. Kagome begged in a hushed tone, "Shiori, I tried to save him. You have to know I tried everything that I possibly could."

"But you couldn't save him." Shiori stood up with the help of the wall and stumbled back to her seat. Kagome ached to go help but knew it would be both unwanted and unwelcomed. "You promised we wouldn't be involved." Shiori's voice sounded old and brittle with that last question, defeated.

Kagome's voice was pained, "I tried. I cut off all ties with you and Souta and the rest of my family. Made sure you all knew nothing about the war so there wouldn't be any reason for the other side to question you." Kagome covered her mouth with her hand and bowed her head, tears running down her face. "I wanted you all to be safe."

Kagome gave a morbid laugh, "Souta even went so far as to change his last name." She looked up at Shiori and made eye contact. Her eyes were begging for Shiori to understand, to forgive her. "You just got married, you were planning on having children. I didn't want you anywhere near the war. I tried so hard."

There was a very long silence as the two women tried to control their tears and sort out their chaotic emotions. This conversation was eighteen years overdue. For eighteen years Kagome stayed away from the family as Shiori had requested, no demanded, when they had met at Souta's funeral for the first time in three years. That would have been the last time they had seen each other before today. It had been a painful time for the both of them. The loss of a younger brother and a husband had hurt them both. Nothing Kagome had said could ease the pain and hatred Shiori had. She hadn't even known Shiori and Souta had a son until she saw him a week ago at the university. It was the main reason for her to finally move to end this silence between the two old friends.

"I know you did." Shiori whispered. She moved her hand into her hands, they were shacking. Her whole body was shacking with suppressed sobs of anguish. "I'm sorry that I blamed you. You did everything you could." She choked, "I know that, I know that." Shiori licked away the tears that had collected on her lips. She sniffed,

"He died a hero. He was so strong, so proud. He didn't say a single thing to the other side after they had captured him, even if he had nothing to say. Not even under torture." Shiori gave an ironic smile, "He never got to tell you about Shuichi, about our son. He missed you so much but he never got to see you again after the war started. At least the war ended with his death." Shiori burst out into tears again. "He was a hero. A stupid, stupid hero!" Shiori wiped her eyes, "I love him so much." She whispered.

She raised her head but kept it bowed, eyes clenched tight against tears. She was shaking her head. She swallowed, "I don't want my son to know about any of this."

The ache in Kagome's heart and the heavy weight against her shoulders lifted at Shiori's wards of forgiveness. The guilt and pain filled memories she had been carrying all these years had at last been put to rest. Kagome reached over the table and with slight apprehension, grasped Shiori's trembling hands in her own. "Your son has the right to know what happened to his father." She spoke delicately.

Shiori stared blankly at their joined hands but didn't pull away. "I know." She said, her voice cracking, "I just don't want him to get involved in that world. I don't want to put him in any danger"

Kagome looked up sharply at Shiori. A questioning look on her tear stained face, one that Shiori missed. Kagome waited for Shiori to expand on her comment but she remained silent. A confused Kagome spoke cautiously, "He might already be involved."

At those words, Shiori snapped her head up abruptly to look at Kagome. Her accusing eyes stared hard into Kagome's, searching for what she meant by those words. Her hands jerked in Kagome's as if to pull away but emotional exhaustion kept them there. "What do you mean? You had better not have told him anything."

"No, I've never talked him." Denied Kagome quickly, "It's just..." Kagome trailed off, searching in Shiori's eye the same way she did to her.

'Does she really not know her own son is a demon avatar?' Kagome thought.

Kagome paused before finishing her sentence, trying to choose if she should tell her nephews secret or not. In the end she decided it was his secret to tell. "Well, he is his father's son."

Shiori smiled a true smile that reached her eyes. "That's true. Souta loved the demon world." She squeezed her hands around Kagome's. "Heck, we had a demon for a best man." Shiori giggled in remembrance. "Shippo sure had fun at our wedding."

Kagome snorted. "If you mean setting a table on fire while trying to impress that girl, fun."

The two women made eye contact and burst out laughing. They laughed at the memories of the fire, at the relief of eighteen years of pain and guilt being lifted, laughed in celebration of their renewed friendship. Just laughed so hard that their faces were again stained with tears, though this time they were tears of joy and relief, not of pain. They still held onto each other's hands.

They had calmed down amd let go of their hands. At peace, Kagome settled back down against the couch while Shiori got up to get some more tea and, herself, a new teacup. When she returned she started to reflect on what Kagome had said before.

"Maybe Shuichi is involved with the demon world somehow and didn't tell me about it. He's so protective of me." Shiori smiled and sat down. She turned to Kagome, "I was sick a few years ago. Really sick, I was about to die when I suddenly got better. The doctors couldn't explain it. It was as if I was healed by some supernatural means." Her eyes became unfocused in thought. Kagome smiled and took the tea pot from Shiori's limp hands. Shiori continued, "and some of the plants in his room, I swear aren't of the human variety." Kagome poured out the tea, "and he has this friend of his named Hiei. Who's got these beautiful red eyes and a habit of using the windows to enter the house instead of using the doors. I'm sure he's either a demon or at least part demon."

Shiori sighed and picked up the tea cup Kagome had just filled for her. She took a long sip, before giving another sigh. "Maybe it's time to tell him the truth behind his father's death and the history of the Higurashi family."

~ OoO ~

Kurama was in shock.

The whole room was in shock.

They stood in stunned silence, watching Kurama's newly discovered aunt and his mother finished their tea and make plans to meet up again sometime later on in the week. It wasn't until Shiori had closed and locked the door after Kagome had left and began to cook dinner that a sound from the group was heard, a strangled question from Kuwabara.

"Mrs. Tashio is your aunt?" He asked, turning from the computer screen to look at the red headed fox sitting beside him. Said red head was slacked jawed, still twisted around staring at his mother on the screen.

"Kurama?" Kuwabara asked again, nudging the unresponsive boy.

Kurama blinked slowly and turned around to sit properly on the couch facing Koenma's desk. Still wide eyed and a bit pale he nodded to Kuwabara's question, and gave an unintelligent, "Ya,"

"and they know about the demon world!" Kuwabara exclaimed, still in shock. Kurama's eyes cleared at those words.

"But how do they know. I've never meet or heard of any demons coming to the house besides Hiei, Yusuke and myself." His eyes flashed between a deep green and frosted gold, his fists were clenched so tightly that small drips of red blood were falling onto the couch. "And my father, he was murdered. No tortured to death." His hair started to turn silver. Kurama ran a bloody hand through it and took a deep breath trying to calm down, trying to assimilate all the information he had just heard.

It was a shock, a huge shock. His mother, whom he had been trying so hard to keep away from the demon world and that part of his life, was trying to do the exact same thing to him. His father, whom he never loved nor cared about at the tender age of two was tortured to death. He died a hero and he never knew. Kurama's heart dropped as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. At that age, with his thoughts about humans and the weakness of emotions, he wouldn't have cared if he had known that his father was murdered.

His father was killed and it was somehow connected to a war. A war his father's sister, his long lost aunt, Kagome Tashio, had fought in. A war that somehow involved demons. Kurama wracked his vast knowledge for any information about any demon war that ended eighteen years ago but he couldn't think of any.

"Kurama," Kuwabara said in a hushed voice. He seemed to have gotten over the shocking revelations. "Do you know what war they were talking about?"

"I think I know." Koenma spoke for the first time since finding out about Kagome's relationship with Shiori. The two boys looked at the small demi-god.

Koenma's face was pale, absolutely white. His eyes were as large as dinner plates and his hands were shaking. The most shocking thing was his pacifier had fallen out of his open mouth and onto the desk. He didn't even notice it was missing.

They waited for him to continue but Koenma just stared at the far wall, mouthing unrecognizable words and hands twitching every few seconds. A few minutes pasted before Jorge, who was still standing just behind Koenma's chair, poked the child ruler. "Koenma, sir?"

Koenma shook himself into awareness but didn't lose his pale color. He got even paler as he noticed the stares coming from the three other people in the room. He sank down in his chair and replaced his binky into his mouth. He shallow audibly and turned to look at Kurama.

You father's family name was Higurashi." He swallowed again, he eyes traveled over Kurama's shoulder to stare off at the far wall again. He whispered in disbelief, "Your father was Souta Higurashi."

Everyone waited for him to continue. Koenma swallowed again and started in a hushed voice,

"I know which war they were talking about and how your aunt was involved. I know why your mother knows about demons. I know why your father's life book is missing and I believe I know why Shiori's, Kagome's and Kurama's life book have blanks in them."

His voice grew softer, "I know why your father was tortured. I know who murdered your father."

Kurama focused cold gold eyes on the young ruler of the afterlife. "Koenma, who killed my father?" He asked in an emotionless voice.

Koenma took a deep breath and looked Kurama straight in the eye.

"Spirit World"

~ OoO ~

AN.

Edited: July 22 / 2010

So now we know why Shiori paled at Kagome's name. It wasn't fear or initial shock. It was hatred! Shiori blamed Kagome for Souta's death. But just what are the events surrounding his death? What is this war they kept mentioning? Why did Spirit World murder Souta? Not to mention how does this all tie in with the Souta's missing life book and the blanks in the others?

Next Time:

Chapter Four, Falling


	4. Chapter 4, Falling

Family Secret

Disclaimer:

AN:

Chapter Four, Falling

"Spirit World."

No one moved, no one dared to even breath.

Frigid gold eyes were glaring hard at the tiny ruler. Kurama's long red hair was slowly turning back and forth between vibrant red and chilling silver. A deep crimson spilled from his clenched hands onto the couth and his tall, slender body shook for control. A long, nervous moment passed, than another, until Kurama was finally able to rest back against the cushions no longer tensed to attack. His hair ceased changing colours but his icy gold eyes were still fixated upon the trembling emperor. He leisurely brought one bloody hand to his mouth and started to lick it clean. On the outside, a vision of calm and collected, only his unmasked piercing eyes told of what he was really feeling.

Kuwabara was tense, and though he would deny it, scared out of his mind. Not for his safety, mind you, not even for Koenma's but for the sanity of the ancient and very dangerous demon sitting next to him. Kuwabara's heart really was bigger than his brain. The young Physic half rose off the couth waiting for some signal for action. Though whether that action was to help keep Kurama calm or help him kill a god, he didn't know. The silence was heavy and long as everyone waited for Kurama to say something, do anything.

Kurama lowered his now cleaned and healed hands and opened his mouth, showing his rather sharp pointed canines. He spoke in a very calm tone, as if simply asking about the weather. "What do you mean Spirit World tortured and murdered my father." He stared relentlessly at the frightened demi-god. Koenma shook but held his gaze. Kurama couldn't help but feel a flash of reluctant respect through his anger.

Koenma took a shaky breath and explained in a rather uncharacteristic emotionless tone. "Eighteen years ago your father was taken prisoner by two members of the Spirit Defence Force. They were trying to get your father to tell them the whereabouts of your aunt, Kagome Higurashi. When your father refused to tell them anything, they ended up torturing him to death."

Kuwabara sat listening to Koenma's words keeping both of his eyes on Kurama. The fox's expression never wavered from its emotionless mask the entire time but Kuwabara placed a steady hand on Kurama's shoulder anyways. Koenma continued,

"The attack was not sanctioned by my father and when he found out about Souta Higurashi's death he killed the two murderers and damned their souls to limbo. Your father's death was the final event that ended the war." Koenma swallowed audibly and waited for Kurama to say something.

Kurama had closed his eyes during the last part of the explanation. When he opened them, they were back to his original lush emerald with only a ring of biting gold circling the edge. "I want the whole story Koenma." He said in steady voice leaving no room for compromise. He had managed to calm the vengeful Youko within him, not that he wasn't still angry, but the reprieve from his oppressing fury gave way to his worry about his mother and an overwhelming curiosity about his aunt.

Kuwabara settled down against the couch and dropped his hand from Kurama's shoulder after giving it an unconscious squeeze. Jorge poked his head out from behind Koenma's chair where he had been huddling in fear. Noticing the decrease in homicidal tension he scurried back to his position standing tall just behind Koenma's chair. No one took notice of him.

Koenma took an unsteady breath and looked as if he wanted to collapse in relief back onto his throne. Instead he nodded and shifted to get comfortable for his long explanation. He cleared his voice and turned toward Kuwabara.

"Kuwabara, you may not know this because when I had explained it before to Yusuke, your powers were hibernating and so you were unable to hear me." Kuwabara nodded remembering the time in the house of four dimensions.

Koenma continued, "Demon World is not just one single world or plane. I explained it before as a giant underground building, basement after basement stretching down into an infinite void. However, the first basement is the largest and easily dwarfs the rest in size and it alone is usually what is referred to when people talk about the Demon World."

"Now, Spirit World controls around half of this world. Well..." Koenma coughed into his hand and looked a little embarrassed.

"The word control is used very loosely. We have visuals and a small, unstable agreement with the demon rulers of this half. This half was further broken down into three sections with demon rulers Mukuro, Yomi and Raizen. Now, thanks to Yusuke these lands have been united under one ruler, Erki and thanks to him the agreement between Spirit World and that half of Demon World has been strengthened."

"But as I said, that was only half of the first level. The other half has no relationship with Spirit World and we are not able to see inside this land. This half is controlled by a great white dog demon by the name of Lord Sesshomaru."

Kurama eyes lit up in recognition and curiosity. Everyone had heard about the feared Lord of the Western Lands. The vast rumours about his tremendous power were overwhelming. Even the great Thief Lord Youko Kurama, at the very height of his fame, only dared to skirt the edges of the two territories fearing the dog demon's wrath.

Koenma paused for a moment to try and regain the colour that fled from his face when he said the name Lord Sesshomaru. After a bit he gave his head a quick shake and continued with the tale. "The war Kurama's mother mentioned started about twenty three years ago." He went pale again, and spoke in a more hushed tone.

"My father wanted to expand our lands and so declared war on the Western Lands. The battle at first was surprisingly tame. The three demon rulers, Mukuro, Yomi and Raizen declared neutrality and officially neither helped nor hindered the SDF. Lord Sesshomaru was only defending his lands and didn't launch any offensive attacks of his own. There were very few deaths on both sides. That was how the war was fought for two years, the SDF attacking and Lord Sesshomaru defending."

"Then my father got frustrated with the SDF's lack of progress and went to the front lines himself. What resulted was a massacre. The defending demon army was wiped out, including the two generals in charge. Two wolf demons by the names of Ginta and Hakkaku. Lord Sesshomaru himself soon turned up afterward and was able to force my father back and reclaimed his stolen lands. From that point on the war become very deadly."

"Lord Sesshomaru sent an army lead by another wolf general named Koga and killed all of the SDF forces that were left. With no defence on our side of the Demon World, we feared that Sesshomaru would move to take over the rest of the lands, but he honoured Mukuro's, Yomi's and Raizen's neutrality and left them alone. Instead he began attacked Spirit World directly. Using the portals we had created to our half of Demon World and a lost portal Sesshomaru was able to open using his famed sword in his own lands they attacked Spirit word's defences."

Jorge made a sound of fear and started to creep back behind Koenma's chair. Kuwabara was completely captivated by the story. Like a little kid being told the greatest bedtime story ever. Kurama took a more analytical approach to the story. He had heard about the small skirmishes raged between Spirit World and the Western Lands before he was killed but was not able to recall anything about a massacre. Though if his memory was correct, his death would have been just short of a year after the attack and he had been in seclusion during that time.

Koenma continued, "That went on for a year. Each side attacking holding nothing back, the death toll was staggering. The war got so intense that my father was unable to continue his duties as ruler of Spirit World and appointed me in his stead and because the SDF was unable to spare anyone to help me with regular demon mischief, I created the Spirit Detectives to help me."

"Our side suffered but in that year we were able to close all the portals to the Demon World in hopes of stopping Sesshomaru's army from reaching Spirit World. We had thought we had finally gotten the upper hand."

"But you didn't." Kurama interrupted.

Koenma shook his head. "No, they began attacking us from human world"

"That's impossible!" Kuwabara shouted looking confused. He stared back and forth between Koenma and Kurama. "I know I'm not the smartest person but wasn't the Kaki barrier up then? You know, the barrier that blocks insanely powerful demons from crossing into Human World. Even if they all used those purple slimy things Urameshi said that bald monk guy used to cross the Kaki to tell him about his father, aren't those things really rare? How the hell did they get a whole army across and then hide them?"

Koenma sighed and looked over to the far wall. He whispered, "It took my father months to find out how. It was a single human woman. She was somehow able to bring hundreds of powerful 'S' and 'A' class demons across the Kaki barrier and hide their presence in Human World from all Spirit World detection." He looked straight at Kurama. Kurama's eye widened already knowing what was about to be said. "It was your aunt, Kurama, Kagome Higurashi."

Kurama was surprised. Sure he had guessed that his aunt would be the one mentioned but how was that possible? Kuwabara said she had almost no spirit energy.

Koenma got louder and more expressive in his explanation. "We have no idea how Spirit World had missed such a powerful physic or how she got to be so powerful to begin with. Nor had we any idea why she was helping Lord Sesshomaru when no demon from that side of Demon World has had any contact with humans for over four centuries. But somehow she did and we couldn't stop her."

"You couldn't stop her?" Kuwabara repeated, very confused.

Koenma sighed and nodded, "We couldn't even find her. She kept herself hidden as well. That's why you sensed such a weak spirit energy from her at your school, Kuwabara, she was hiding it from detection. The only reason Spirit World knew it was her was because she and Lord Sesshomaru were betrayed by a thunder demon named Souten."

Koenma paused to calm down and smoothed his hands over the top of his desk. His voice was back in its hushed tone. "We couldn't find her but we could find her family. Your aunt had an elderly mother living in the Higurashi family shrine, a younger brother and his wife and a new born baby nephew," Koenma nodded in Kurama's direction, "you."

Koenma tensed, "You were all put under surveillance." He flinched and motioned towards the computer screen still showing Shiori cooking dinner behind them. "But it soon became clear that Kagome Higurashi had cut all ties with her family right after your parent's marriage a year previous. We continued to watch." Koenma noticed Kurama clenching his jaw, "but there was no order given to directly approach any family members." Koenma added hastily.

Koenma decided it would be safer to move the conversation away from the Higurashi family. "Unlike with the portals in Demon World, we could not close the portals to Human World. There were far too many and then there would have been no way to collect the souls of the dead. The ferry girls were already complaining about having to travel through Human World to reach those that died in Demon World. And there was still the possibility that your aunt could just open portals to Spirit World as well."

Koenma banged his fist on his desk. "The war was completely one sided. The SDF was being destroyed but still my father refused to surrender. For two whole years he tried to fight back." He closed his eyes and grabbed his head in both hands. He spoke in a quiet voice.

"The conditions of the surrender weren't even bad, they were actually very forgiving. Sesshomaru wanted all of his soldiers that had been killed to be judged in a fair manner, were their actions from the war against Spirit World would not harm their afterlife. Something I was already doing my best to maintain and a treaty saying that Spirit World will never attack the Western Lands unprovoked as long as he was still ruler or one of his direct heirs were. His heirs being his half-brother, General Inuyasha and his head advisor, a red kitune named Shippo."

"After two years of constant defeat my father finally started to think about ending the war. Something everyone was pleased to hear. Except for some fanatic demon haters, two members of the SDF in particular. They decided that if they were able to find Kagome Higurashi and bring her to my father, he would not end the war. So they kidnapped your father, Kurama, and tortured him for information he did not know. In the process they ended up killing him."

Kuwabara shifted uncomfortably in the silence that followed. He kept glancing at the red headed man sitting next to him. Looking for some sign of emotion caused from Koenma's words but Kurama remained unaffected. Kuwabara frowned, 'I guess Kurama and his father weren't as close as him and his mother.'

Koenma sat up straighter in his chair, "They had tried to cover up what they had done. Usually a soul is kept in the afterlife for around twenty five years if the soul was not sentenced with anything long term. After that time the soul is then reincarnated. To cover up the death they had pushed your father's soul to the front of the line. He was reincarnated two days after he died. Having him be reincarnated also made it impossible for Spirit World to bring him back to life without killing the newly born baby his soul now inhabited."

"It also explains why your father's life book was not in the death vaults. We only keep a life book for ten years after reincarnation and your father was reincarnated eighteen years ago. It could possibly explain the blanks in the other books. They must have tried to erase all evidence of Kagome Higurashi and Souta Higurashi. I wonder how they did it though. I thought it was impossible to affect the books." Koenma pondered for a second before shaking his head and continuing.

"When my father found out what they had done, he was furious. The whole war had been violent and cruel but it was only towards those that were involved in the war. In all five years not a single civilian was killed. And since most of the major fighting was done in Spirit World and therefore the main civilians were the ferry girls and ogres, for our side to so violently attack an innocent..." Koenma trailed off and wrapped his small arms around himself. Leaving what he was about to say for the boys to decipher.

"Word quickly got out about what had happened and Lord Sesshomaru, both of his lead generals Inuyasha and Koga and head advisor Shippo came to Spirit World bring with them their entire army. They demanded an immediate end to the war and if my father still refused, they would then proceed to destroy all of Spirit World. My father signed the original treaty and the body of Souta Higurashi was taken with them when they left."

Koenma shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to judge Kurama's mood. "And that was the end of the war. All monitoring of the Higurashi family ended and the warrant for your aunt was removed. There was never a follow up investigation on her or her relationships with the Demon World."

Koenma shifted again and opened his mouth to say something but couldn't find anything else to say so shut it. The group waited in an apprehensive silence for Kurama to say something. Said red head sat with his head bowed, silken red hair obscuring his eyes.

Kurama sat there for only a few minutes but for the rest of the group it felt like breathless hours before slowly raising his head and flashing the group a disarming smile that made them want to do anything but disarm. "Thank you Koenma for telling me what happened." He stood up and straightened his clothing. "It's getting late and my mother has dinner prepared for me. We should go." He said nodding to Kuwabara then turned to nod at the screen behind them showing Shiori setting the table.

"Yes...," Koenma said slowly sharing a baffled look with Kuwabara. Kuwabara stood up and brushed the nonexistent dust from his cloth, watching as Kurama strode to the middle of the room and opened a portal to Human World. Kuwabara slowly followed.

Once the portal was opened Kurama turned around and gave Koenma and Jorge a quick nod before stepping through the portal and disappearing from Spirit World. Kuwabara gave Koenma one last confused look before following after the red head.

~ OoO ~

"Kurama?"

The red head turned to look at the young man stepping out of the portal and onto human soil. They paused watching each other as the portal faded away. "Are you ok?" Kuwabara asked hesitatingly.

Kurama smiled, his clear green eyes showing amusement at Kuwabara's worry. "I'm fine. Just a little shocked that's all. I never really knew my father, never really cared to know him. He was murdered when I was only two." He smiled again and started to navigate his way through the dense forest surrounding the park. He looked over his shoulder and gave Kuwabara a sad smirk.

"But my mother," He continued, "having to suffer like that for years being unable to talk about it with anyone. She worked so hard to keep me away from the very same world I've been trying to keep her from."

He came to the edge of the forest and stopped to watch a group of young children running around playing tag. Kuwabara came to stand beside him. "Looks like you and Yusuke were right. It would have been a lot easier if I had just told my mother the truth about me being a kitune avatar."

Kuwabara whipped his head towards the softly smiling fox. "You going to tell her?"

Kurama nodded, his smile turning into a full smile. "Yes I believe so, right after dinner. I don't want any more secrets."

They stood at the edge of the park for a couple of minutes. Kurama turning over the thought of no longer having to lie to the women he loved so much. Kuwabara though had a look of confusion on his face.

"There's something I don't get." He said. He had his chin in his right hand and when he noticed Kurama raising an enquiring eyebrow at him, expanded on his comment. "Why didn't the SDF just look into Mrs. Tashio's life file to find her? It wasn't blank back then, was it? They could have found out everything about her."

Kurama looked surprised then curious. Bring his hand to his chin and bowing his head in thought. After a time he just shrugged. "The books are not specific enough to tell something like current location but as for information about her." He shrugged again. "Maybe there was a reason. If my aunt is powerful enough to manipulate the Kaki barrier then maybe she could of affected her own life book."

They stood for a moment more before Kurama started to walk to his home. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?" He half asked, half stated waving good-bye to his orange haired friend.

"Ya, you better get home and talk to your mom. I bet you're just dying to find out about your aunt too." Kuwabara grinned at the retreating red head.

Kurama turns his head and smirks over his shoulder, "well there's that too."

Kuwabara laughed. "Good luck," he called after the retreating red head.

Kurama didn't bother to turn around, just raised one hand in the air in acknowledgment. Kuwabara smiled and turned around to hurry to his own home. He still had school tomorrow and his sister would kill him if he was late for dinner.

~ OoO ~

AN.

Edited: Aug 09 / 10

So now we now know about the war and just how Kagome was involved. In fact with your knowledge about Kagome's time traveling you know more about it than Spirit World. We also know why Souta was killed and about how the two murderers tried to cover that up.

But how will Kurama and his mother's discussion go? And what about Kagome?

Next Time:

Chapter Five, Conclusion


	5. Chapter 5, Conclusion

Family Secret

Disclaimer:

AN: Dedicated to all those that complained about my original ending. Let nothing bad be said about the power of reviews.

Chapter Five, Conclusion

His hand shook as he neatly and somewhat obsessively straightened out all nine of his slightly chewed pencils for the seventh time in the last few minutes. She wasn't here yet. She was always here before her students, usually leaning against her desk with some ancient text in her hand. But not today. Today she was missing and Kuwabara was left sitting and sweating in his desk in the front half of the classroom.

It was your typical university classroom, the desks were too close, the chairs were too small and there was a funny smell in the air. Normally Kuwabara would be reading the comments written and carved into the desks, his pencil in hand really to write the word, "loser," or, "smells," next to the males name in the, "blank loves blank," messages. Never the females name though, Kuwabara had to his morals after all.

But yesterday... yesterday he and Kurama went Spirit World to see Koenma. And there they had found out the truth about Kurama's aunt. Kurama's super powerful, super secretive, knows a bunch of very, very powerful demons, aunt.

Who just so happens to be his Demon Lore professor!

It hadn't really sunk in yesterday. Too busy trying to wrap his head around Kurama's father being murdered by Spirit World, the blanks in the life books and the war to really stop and realize that the women they kept on mentioning, Kurama's aunt, was, in fact, his professor. She just didn't seem real at the time. Like a fairy tale princess, only less like a princess and more like a ninja. A super powerful ninja.

A powerful ninja who could hide powerful, 'A' and, 'S' class demons, rip open the Kaki barrier and never even blip on Spirit World's monitor. A ninja who knew demon lords and played an important role in a war, a war in which Spirit World Lost. A woman who lost her younger brother to the aforementioned Spirit World. A woman who probably hated that world and anyone associated with it.

And then there was him. A not so powerful ninja, hell, not even a ninja, who just so happens to work... for... Spirit World.

Kuwabara gulped.

He was so glad he remembered to wear deodorant today.

It wouldn't have been so bad if Kurama was in the university with him but he had gotten a call late last night from the fox saying he wouldn't be going to school today. Turned out the tell-all meeting went all sweet 'n sour. With Shiori dissolving in horrified tears when she was told her son was in fact a demon. Not that she had any problem with demons specifically but the whole, 'oh ya, your son is technically a dangerous monster and involved with the same people who killed your husband,' is kind of shell shocking. Kuwabara was just happy Kurama's step-father was out of town working and Shu-chan was staying the night at a friend's house. It got better once Kurama was able to calm her down, a lot better. Kurama was actually giddy on the phone last night if you can believe it. Kurama, The Thief Lord, was actually babbling when he was telling Kurama all about the conversation and their plans on having a true mother and son/demon avatar day out. Hence why, Kurama was spending the day having a picnic in the park instead of slaving the day in school.

Not that Kuwabara wasn't happy for him. He was beyond ecstatic but... Hello? Super Powerful professor, who probably has a grudge, would have been nice to have had some backup.

Kuwabara glanced up at the clock, 5 minutes after. She was late. Kuwabara was just about to start packing up, unable to withstand the tension anymore. But a shuffle from the doorway caught his and the rest of the class's attention. The figure that appeared made his slam back down fast and try to shrink his massive 6 foot plus body into his way too tiny seat.

"Sorry, I'm late." Mrs. Tashio called from the door, trying to get to her desk without dropping the pile of papers and scrolls in her arms. She managed to dump the pile onto her desk without too much trouble. The couple of scrolls that did roll off were eagerly picked up by a couple of nerds and one really weird Otaku extremist who gave her a sly wink after. Gross, she had to be over forty-five, you hormonal brat.

Mrs. Tashio ignored the sad advances of her student and took the scroll. She set it beside the pile, then smoothing a hand in her hair making sure it was still up in her clips, she turned back to her class.

"Sorry I'm late," she said again. "I was on the phone with my sister-in-law and lost track of time." She gave them another smile before heaving a large sigh. "Alright." She clapped her hands for their already undivided attention

Kuwabara was still bunched low in his chair and trying to get lower, causing the girl sitting beside him to give him few odd looks and lean away from him. Kuwabara was so nervous he didn't even notice when she kicked her backpack so it was between them.

"Please get out your note books. We are starting a new discussion today." Mrs. Tashio turned to the white board and started to write page numbers for the at home reading. "The last couple weeks had been dedicated towards the study of the more ancient demon legends, like the war against netherworld and the legend of the Shikon no Tama. Today we will be learning about more recent tales."

She finished at the board and turned to face the class, sporting a bit too large smile on her face.

"Today we will be covering the tales of a special Spirit World task force lead by King Enma's son. It is known as the Spirit Detective."

~ OoO ~

"Mr. Kuwabara, are you alright? You're looking a little pale."

It took all of Kagome's skill not to burst out laughing at the visible paling of the poor boy. She really shouldn't, it wasn't professional or even nice for that matter but she just couldn't help but tease the boy. And can you blame her? The boy was all heart, not really brains, but definitely one with a heart of gold.

He gave her a wide eyed stare. So wide Kagome momentarily feared his eyes were going to fall out of his head. Before literally squeaking out an, "I'm OK." The sound of his own voice, not to mention the giggles from the girl beside him seemed to snap him back to reality. He sat up in his desk and closed his eyes, a look of brave resolution crossed over his face.

Kagome turned towards the white board to hide her smile. It was just too much fun teasing him. Truthfully, she might have been a bit confused about her student's behaviour today if it wasn't for the conversation she had just had with her sister-in-law. The secret was out. Apparently Shuichi had overheard their conversation yesterday and had decided to come clean himself about his demon half. Kagome had rolled her eyes at the explanation, there was no way anyone could have overheard them directly, unless of course, they were using some Spirit World spy technology. Just because Spirit World had no idea about her, didn't mean she knew nothing about them.

Kagome was happy for Shiori, truly happy. She knew how hard it must have been for Shiori to have had that secret and not been able to tell anybody. Now with her son's confession, Kagome hoped Shiori would finally be able to let go of the past. Though she did have to wonder if Shuichi had confessed everything to his mother.

Kagome started to write Spirit World's management system on the board for her students, so she could explain the difference between the Spirit Detective and the SDF. Peeking over her shoulder she saw Kuwabara with a look of confused concentration as he took down notes.

Speaking of the Spirit Detective, she really had them to thank for everything. She had known about them for awhile, how could she not. The leader wasn't what you would call subtle. So when she had heard that two of the members were attending the university she had to see them for herself. And what she found was life changing. To think the famed avatar Youko Kurama was her own nephew. She never even made a connection, but to tell the truth Shuichi looked nothing like his parents not to mention she hadn't even known he existed.

And Kuwabara... Kagome stopped writing for a second and turned around to watch the boy, taking in the image of his scrunched brow and the tip of his tongue poking out between his teeth.

He reminded her so much of her younger brother.

Not physically they looked nothing alike. But spiritually, Kagome gave a bittersweet smile and turned back to towards the board, defiantly spiritually.

And the fact that Kuwabara was such good friends with Shuichi... well.

Maybe Fate wasn't such a bitch after all.

~ OoO ~

THE END

~ OoO ~

AN.

For those that didn't get the last part. Kuwabara was the child that gained Souta's reincarnated soul. That Fate comment refers to the fact that even though Souta couldn't see his son grow up, his soul was still able to be there for him as a friend.

Poetic right?

Towards Kagome being so Powerful, she really isn't. I just blew it a bit out of proportion in Kuwabara's thoughts because it was funny. I mean Kuwabara himself can cut though the Kaki barrier and we know how inept Spirit World is. Do you really think Sesshomaru couldn't find some way to hide his army? The big mystery is how Kagome knows about demons and where she got her training, but we know the answer to that story, don't we?

So,

I wasn't going to write this. Chapter four was the ending that I had planned from the start. Then I got a review from SnowBlizzard saying: "Really? The end? But I guess there's nothing really to say that the readers shouldn't already know. Well, I really enjoyed the explanation on Souta's death. It would have been quite interesting if he reincarnated to be someone they knew though." (Not to mention, I believe three other people gave reviews along the same line.)

As soon as I read that last part all I could think was... Kuwabara. What if Kuwabara got Souta's soul? So I went back and looked over my story and it fit. The time line fit! And this scene popped into my head. As I had some other stuff planned I put this scene on hold. I was planning on having it finished so when I got my 100th review I would post it as a thank-you but I stumbled on a major case of writers block. So, sorry it took so long but this Was an extra gift, dedicated to everyone who complained about my original ending and more specifically to SnowBlizzard for the muse.

Speaking of extra gifts, No, I'm NOT planning a sequel but a one-shot prequel just may appear as a chapter six. It will give more information about the war and Kagome's part in it. It will also answer questions like. Why did Souten betray Sesshomaru? Why didn't Spirit World use Kagome's life book to get information? And I might even answer, How did Kagome get the last name Tashio?

Again this is a maybe as I do have other things planned including another YYH x IY staring Hiei and Kagome with a much darker twist. It will be titled; "Jewels are Breakable"

Not to mention I do have writers block. I guess it just depends if anyone can inspire me like the review from SnowBlizzard did. Hint, hint.

TTFN

~ A Dangerous Notion


End file.
